Seven Minutes
by Bandbabe
Summary: Adam goes to a party and makes quite an impression. - Adam   Eli Friendship fic!
1. Chapter 1

"Seven Minutes"

Summary: Adam goes to a party and makes quite an impression. (Adam and Eli Friendship fic!)

Author's Note: I'm name dropping places in Toronto like crazy in this story. Can you tell I visited recently? This story takes place after "All Falls Down" and is pure fluff. This is part 1 of 3.

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

"Thank you!" Eli Goldsworthy told the saleswoman as he took his bags from the counter. He had just spent forty bucks on clothes and accessories at Hot Topic. Among his purchases were new kicks, a chain for his jeans, and new dark nail polish. Shopping wasn't his favorite activity but when he was at the right store he could browse for hours. His best friend Adam Torres had a much shorter fuse. He bailed after thirty minutes and decided to wait outside the store.

The two friends were spending the day at mall. Toronto Easton Centre was their favorite one to kill time at. It was in the heart of Downtown Toronto, a world away from the attitudes they dealt with at Degrassi. Every so often they ran into someone from school, but the mall pulled in people from all over. He and Adam felt freer here.

'_There he is!_' Eli thought when he spotted his friend at the benches in the walkway. Adam wasn't alone, which was not surprising to Eli. He lost track of how many times he exited a store to find his best friend chatting up girls. He and Clare agreed Adam was quite the flirt, but seeing him in action always made them smile. He wasn't sleazy, he was genuinely friendly and had a way with girls. He was confident and made them laugh. That combo seemed to pull them in.

However, at Degrassi his charm rarely shined through. He was always self-conscious and weary of people judging him. It wasn't all in his mind – people _were_ judging him. It pissed off Eli to no end that many people never gave Adam a chance. If they got to know him, like Eli did, they would see how great of a person he was.

"Hey man," Eli said as he walked up to Adam.

"Hey!" Adam greeted him with a relaxed grin. He was talking with a group of three girls and guy. "Did you get everything you wanted?"

Eli held up his bag and laughed. "Well, I did my best to take home the whole store," he joked.

Adam turned back to the group. "My man Eli isn't kidding. Hot Topic's his store," he teased. "Eli, this is Katelyn, Jane, Hanna, and their friend Mike."

Eli nodded.

"Eli's my best friend," Adam completed the introduction. "We were just talking about grabbing some Bubble Tea in Chinatown. You up for a walk? We could head down Dundas."

"Or we could take a tram," Hanna interjected. She was a petite girl with long brown hair.

"No one told you to wear those sandals," her friend Jane teased. "But I agree the 505 would be a much shorter trip."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Let's do it!" Mike exclaimed. Everyone looked at him with amusement. His cheeks grew red with embarrassment, nearly matching his curly red hair.

Eli had Bubble Tea a few times, but he was blown away by the Coconut flavor. "This is like nectar from the gods!" he exclaimed. Adam nodded in agreement.

"Come here often?" Jane asked Eli shyly.

"Not really. I live much farther west," he told her. "But my _girlfriend_ loves hanging out in Chinatown. She dragged me to the Art Gallery of Ontario a couple of times."

"This has been fun, but we really should get going," Hanna said. "Katelyn's having a party tonight."

"That's cool," Adam remarked.

"You guys should come," Katelyn invited them.

"Are you sure? We don't want to impose," Eli questioned politely.

Katelyn kept her eyes locked on Adam. "Yeah, the party starts at 8. There's going to be a couple of students from Degrassi there."

Adam tensed up, ready to decline. Eli gave him a look.

"Yeah, a few sophomores from her sister's science club," Mike elaborated.

"Come on, Amherst High knows how to party," Hanna smiled.

-oOo-

"Are you sure about this," Eli asked Adam as they walked up to Katelyn's door. "We could still back out."

"Something tells me you're disappointed that Clare couldn't make it," Adam teased. Clare was out of town this weekend with her folks.

"Fine, but it could get awkward in there with people from Degrassi attending. Say the word and we'll go," he assured his friend.

"Quit worrying," Adam dismissed him. "Besides, Hanna is hot."

"Alas, the real reason you signed up for this social experiment has been revealed!"

Adam merely smirked. He was dressed up more than usual tonight. His attire mixed casual with dress elements. He wore a black jacket with a maroon graphic tee underneath. He had on dark jeans with smooth black kicks.

In contrast, Eli wore his standard all black ensemble.

"Let's do this!" Adam yelled in faux excitement. The two boys laughed, recalling the incident with Mike.

"Hey guys! I'm glad you made it," Katelyn beamed when she opened the door.

Eli and Adam smiled. "Thanks for the invite. Beats playing video games tonight," Adam told her.

"Now I _know_ he's being modest. Adam loves playing Halo," Eli joked.

The party had a good turn out of about 25 people or so. It wasn't a huge party but people were huddled in groups laughing and having fun.

"Want some punch?" a girl suddenly asked them. She had dark brown hair which she wore in a bob cut.

"It's not spiked or anything?" Adam quipped.

She gave him a toothy smile. "No."

"Well, too bad," he smirked.

Eli grinned. Fun Adam has struck again. He never needed a wingman so Eli decided to explore the party on his own. He spotted a couple of Clare's friends, Dave and Wesley. He struggled to remember if they ever had a conversation as Wesley waved wildly and came over to him. Dave followed.

"Hey man! What are you doing here?" Wesley said excitedly. Dave continued to look around the room, sizing up the events around him.

"Got an invite from some girls at the mall. I'm here with Adam," Eli told them.

"Wow," Wesley said. "Right on man!"

"Adam's here?" Dave frowned.

Eli didn't like his tone. "Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

Dave already zeroed in on Adam. He was standing by the drinks table, sharing a lively conversation with the girl with the bob.

"No," Wesley said quickly. Eli raised an eyebrow, and then turned to Dave.

"No, it's cool. Who's that girl he's talking to?" Dave inquired.

"Damned if I know," Eli said and walked away. He got an odd vibe from those two. He grabbed a few pretzels from the snack table.

"Having a good time?" Hanna asked him. He looked around startled. "Didn't mean to surprise you," she chuckled.

Eli shook his head. "Well, I have a one track mind when it comes to food."

Hanna laughed. They both turned away from the table to observe the party. "So, does your friend Adam have a girlfriend too?"

Eli smirked. Perhaps tonight wouldn't be a bust. "Not very subtle, huh?"

She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Inquiring minds want to know."

.

* * *

Author's Note #2: This falls into my 'Adam is a flirt' meme, lol.

Fun Adam rocks! Eli is an awesome guy too. The jury is out on these Amherst kids though…


	2. Chapter 2

"Seven Minutes" – Part 2

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Adam laughed as Mike did another Will Ferrell impression. He was standing with two girls, Carrie and Anna when Jane came over.

"Adam, you're last name is Torres, right?" she asked.

He nodded, and reached for some more party mix.

"So you're transgendered?" she followed up casually. Adam froze and his entire body flushed with anxiety. He could almost hear the blood rushing in veins, as he did his best not to panic. He instinctively started to search the room for Eli.

"Because that's what we heard," Jane continued. His eyes snapped back to her.

"You heard?" he questioned.

"Yeah, that kind of news travels fast," she answered.

He studied her demeanor. She didn't look horrified. She didn't appear to be taunting him. He realized, she was just making conversation. He was astounded that she would think this topic was appropriate for small talk. He glanced at the other people privy to the conversation. They seemed pretty neutral.

Adam took a deep breath. "Yes, I am," he admitted while struggling to keep his voice even.

"That's awesome," Mike said. Adam looked at him like he had two heads. "I mean, most people don't have to guts to be like, 'screw the world, I'm going be who I am.' Much respect," he continued.

Adam didn't know what to say.

"Yeah, I think it's interesting," Carrie said. "I was a tomboy when I was little."

He rolled his eyes. "Not, the same thing."

To his surprise, everyone laughed _with_ him.

"So, when did you know you were really a boy?" Anna asked. Adam was taken aback.

"I've always known," he simply stated. "When did you know you were really a girl?"

"Touché," she smiled.

"That's pretty deep," Jane said. "I never thought about it that way before."

"Well, the stories about you don't do you justice," Anna stated. Adam waited for her to continue. "They leave out the best part."

"And that is?" he asked curiously.

"That you make a cute boy," she added flirtatiously.

Adam cheeks grew flushed. "Just cute?" he quipped.

Anna smiled wider.

-oOo-

Katelyn stood in the middle of the room. "Alright everyone. It's time for party games!" She picked up an empty bottle. "Let's play spin the bottle!"

Eli groaned. As people began to move towards the floor he walked over to Adam. "Do you want go?"

"Why would you guys want to leave? The party's just getting started," Jane interrupted them. Eli looked at Adam for an answer.

"Maybe I should sit this one out," he told them shyly.

"Adam, don't be silly. Come on, we want you to play." Anna grabbed his hand and began to lead him towards the group.

"But—"

"Trust me, it's _not_ an issue," she assured him. He furrowed his brows in confusion. She merely smiled at him.

"You too, Eli," Jane told him.

"I have a girlfriend," he told her.

"We have rules for that. You'll see."

-oOo-

Once everyone was seated Katelyn began to go over the rules.

"If you're in a relationship raise your hands."

Eli and 6 other people did.

"Okay, then you don't spin. If the bottle lands on you, then give the spinner a kiss on the hand. We're not trying to destroy anything here." Everyone laughed. "Now, luckily we have a high singles ratio. If you're single you can alternate between a peck on cheek or sharing a real kiss. Spinners reserve the right to move to bottle to the next person at any given time."

Adam sat there uncomfortable. The male/female ratio wasn't exact, so he ended up sitting with Dave to his right and Carrie to his left.

"Let's do this!" Mike exclaimed. Apparently that was his catch phrase.

Katelyn was the first spinner. The bottle landed on a tall boy with spiky brown hair and glasses. She gave him a peck on the cheek.

It was several spins before the first kiss was exchanged. Eli was surprised how much he was enjoying this game. The reactions and teasing of the players made it fun to watch. He stiffened when it was Adam's turn to spin. The bottle landed on a blonde girl with glasses. He reached over and gave her a peck on the cheek. The crowd cheered and then Carrie took her turn. Eli let out a breathe he didn't realize he was holding. There wasn't any drama with it. He smiled.

As the night went on, the players got bolder. On one of Anna's turns the bottle landed on Dave. He smiled and readied himself for a peck on the cheek. They had been playing for over thirty minutes and so far the bottle only landed on him twice.

She flashed a wicked grin and turned the bottle to Adam instead. Everyone laughed.

"That's cold man!" Mike called out in jest. Anna merely shrugged. After a moment she leaned forward and gestured for Adam to do the same. He smiled shyly. As they reached the center of the circle she gave him a teasing grin.

"He gets a real kiss?" Dave questioned annoyed.

"Yep," Anna said amused.

Adam froze. She closed the distance between them and brought her lips to his. After a moment she moved her lips and he followed her lead. When they parted several seconds later everyone watching whooped and cheered. Anna laughed at the bewildered expression on Adam's face.

He moved back to his seat a moment later. His heart was thumping as he processed what just occurred. He had been kissed at a party. Scratch that. He had been kissed at a party where some, if not all, of the participants knew his secret and no one seem to care. No insults of "tranny" or looks of disgust. In fact, the crowd had cheered. He looked over at Eli to find his friend smirking and giving him a thumbs up.

By the next time the bottle landed on him, Adam was much more relaxed. On his last spin he had given a peck on cheek but he no longer worried about offending anyone. This time around Hanna landed on him fair and square.

They moved to the center of the circle. She winked at him and kept her head straight as they leaned forward. Adam understood she wanted a real kiss. He didn't expect her to pause and smile right before their lips touched.

"Wanted to do this all night," she whispered to him. He leaned in and kissed her. Their lips moved together passionately. As they continued to kiss open mouthed, she brought a hand to his head. Several long moments later they parted.

"I've got to try that," Katelyn joked. Both Adam and Hanna were breathless and chuckled nervously.

"Hey Hanna, can I be next?" Mike asked obnoxiously.

Even Eli had his eyebrows raised. Dave grumbled nearby.

"Well, he is a Torres," Wesley said aloud. A few people laughed making the connection to Degrassi's QB2.

.

* * *

Author's Note #3: Well, now! It really wasn't a problem! :D

Last part will be up soon! Pls review...


	3. Chapter 3

"Seven Minutes" – Part 3

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

At 11:30 the party was winding down. They recently ended the game and Wesley was pumped because he got a total of 2 kisses on the cheek and 4 kisses on the hand.

"Don't you realize that means we're losers?" Dave said exasperated. "Not one single girl wanted to kiss us on the lips."

"Well, some guys have all the luck," Wesley said unfazed.

"We didn't get any kisses, yet Adam got two!" Dave complained.

At sound of his friend's name Eli looked over at the Degrassi sophomores. He gave Dave a warning look. Dave promptly changed the subject. Eli smirked.

He searched the crowd for his friend and spotted him across the room talking to a girl with long auburn hair. She was petite and wore a stunning purple dress. She had an air of confidence about her. Eli got the impression she was one of the queen bees at Amherst. She was also flirting heavily with Adam. She leaned into him as he spoke and touched his arm every few seconds.

"I like your hair like this," Kara commented as ran her hands through his hair. "Really, you shouldn't cut it."

"Just pet me like a dog," Adam made light of her sudden action. They shared a laugh.

She lowered her voice seductively, "I wouldn't touch my dog like that."

Adam cringed. "I know that was meant to be sexy, but it came out a little creepy," he teased. They laughed again.

"A bit much?" she questioned.

He nodded. "Just a little bit over the threshold of acceptable flirting," he quipped.

"Eh, it happens to the best of us," she joked.

Adam smiled at her. "You're funny. You give as good as you get."

She snorted. "What, pretty girls can't have a sense of humor?"

"There you go again, giving yourself compliments," he said in a mock scolding tone. "You make it hard for a guy to impress you. You're more than a pretty face, you know? You also have a beautiful face."

"I'm so glad you acknowledge my many talents and fine qualities," she said in jest. They settled into a companionable silence when her friend, Carrie stopped by.

"Kara, we're leaving in ten minutes, alright?" she told her and walked away.

"Well, I had a fun time talking to you, Kara," Adam stated.

"You're saying goodbye already?"

"No, I just figured you have to go, and I saw you looking at the closet down the hall," he said thinking she had to get her coat.

She smirked at him. "That's because I noticed it's no longer occupied. Are you coming?" She started down the hall.

"Um, I…"

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Adam sighed. "Do you know?" he finally managed to get out.

The evening had gone better than he had hoped. He didn't want to offend anyone, so he figured honesty was the best policy.

She grabbed his hand. "I know that you seem like a good kisser," she said as they walked down the hall. "And I agree that the gossip left out the best part." She threw him a knowing look.

-oOo-

Seven minutes later Adam returned to the party with a silly grin on his face.

"You finally ready to go?" Eli questioned. He nodded. The two boys said their goodbyes and headed towards Morty.

"Seems like someone had a great time," Eli teased as he put on his seatbelt.

Adam smiled at the memories. "It was like visiting an alternate universe," he remarked.

"You know, not everyone is going to be an asshole towards you," Eli told him. "I should know."

-oOo-

Monday morning was just like any day at Degrassi. After the incredible weekend it felt like a letdown to return to the same problems. Adam was grateful by the time lunch rolled around.

"At least there's tater tots today," he said as he plopped his tray on the table. Clare, Alli, and Eli stared back at him without talking. After a moment he asked, "What? Do I have something in my teeth?"

Eli smirked. "Told you he probably hasn't noticed."

Adam looked at him confused. "Noticed what?"

He looked around the room and observed a few more looks of curiosity than usual. He wasn't sure why. Before he could press for more information Drew suddenly appeared and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Dude, you are my hero!" he said excitedly. His smile faltered a little when he locked eyes with Alli. He quickly looked away. "Can I borrow him for a moment?"

Adam stood up and the two brothers moved away from the table.

"Okay, what do you want?" Adam asked, not understanding why his brother was so damn happy at the moment.

"Did you, or did you not make out with Kara Saunders on Saturday?" Drew asked. He looked giddy.

"Um, I did kiss a girl named Kara," Adam admitted.

Drew let out a laugh and clapped him on the shoulder again. "Dude that's epic! Kara Saunders is the hottest girl at Amherst High!" Drew went on to say. "How come you didn't tell me?"

Adam shrugged. "I didn't want to make a big deal out it." Truth was he wanted to brag to Drew about the events of Saturday, but ultimately kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to appear overly excited about something that was a fairly normal experience for guys at parties.

"Adam that _is_ a big deal! Everyone's talking about it. Your stock just rose like 500%," Drew laughed.

"You're talking about finance, Andrew?" Adam teased.

Drew frowned. "You know what I mean."

Adam saw his brother suddenly narrow his eyes, and traced his gaze to Bianca. She was looking at the two brothers as she walked by. Adam readied himself for an insult. To his surprise she passed them without incident. She didn't even return their glares!

Drew looked at Adam with a '_see what I mean_' look. Adam looked around the room and noticed people were looking at him with curious glances. Perhaps Drew was right – at the moment he wasn't the resident punching bag.

When Adam returned to his friends they immediately halted their conversation.

"Dude, what was that about?" Eli asked.

Adam shrugged. "Apparently everyone knows about the party."

"So it's true?" Alli asked surprised. Clare rolled her eyes.

"Don't sound so surprised. You haven't seen Adam in action," she teased.

.

-FIN-

* * *

Author's Note #4: I hope you guys had as much fun reading this as I did writing it!

Right before this, I finished a really heavy story. Shaking things up with Adam fluff was awesome. FunAdam rocks!


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